James Nesbitt (born January 15, 1965) is a Northern Irish actor who is best known for his roles in ITV's Cold Feet and the BBC's Murphy's Law as well as many television advertisements. He has also appeared in theatre and faced tabloid revelations about his private life. He is sometimes credited by his nickname, Jimmy. January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Broughshane is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ... Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Cold Feet is a British comedy/drama, made by Granada Television, broadcast on the ITV network and shown in five series between 1997 and 2003. ... Bloody Sunday is 2002 television film about the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry, Northern Ireland. ... Murphys Law is a BBC television drama, produced by BBC Northern Ireland, starring James Nesbitt as undercover police officer, Tommy Murphy. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Northern Ireland is an administrative region and one of four parts of the United Kingdom. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV but also as ITV Network or Channel 3) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990... Cold Feet is a British comedy/drama, made by Granada Television, broadcast on the ITV network and shown in five series between 1997 and 2003. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Murphys Law is a BBC television drama, produced by BBC Northern Ireland, starring James Nesbitt as undercover police officer, Tommy Murphy. ...

Biography

Early life

Nesbitt was born in Broughshane, County Antrim and was the youngest of four children (he has three older sisters). He grew up in nearby Coleraine after his family moved there when he was 11,^[2] and there he attended the Coleraine Academical Institution.^[3] In his early years he worked at Barry's fair in Portrush as a bumper car operator and a bingo caller. Broughshane is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Antrim Area: 2,844 km² Population (est. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Coleraine Borough UK Parliament: East Londonderry European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Coleraine Postal District(s): BT51, BT52 Population (2001) 24,042 Coleraine (from the Irish: Cúil Raithin meaning Ferny corner) is a large town... Coleraine Academical Institution or Coleraine Inst. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Bumper car at a small town fair Bumper car is the generic name for a type of flat ride consisting of several small electric cars that draw their power from an overhead grid, which is turned off by the operator at the end of a session. ... Housie is a gambling game played in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, where it is called Bingo. ...

He read French at the University of Ulster at Coleraine with a view to being a French teacher (his sisters all became teachers). While there he became an apprentice at the Riverside Theatre, where he joined Equity.^[3] University of Ulster Logo The Coleraine campus of the University of Ulster (UUC) is the administration headquarters of the University and is the most traditional in outlook, with a focus on science and the humanities. ... The Riverside Theatre a prestigious theatre located at the University of Ulster in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. ... The British Actors Equity Association (now called Equity) is the British actors trade union. ...

Nesbitt did not complete his degree, instead moving to London and enrolling at the Central School of Speech and Drama after encouragement from teachers. He continued to work odd-jobs while he was there, such as mailing prospectuses from the office.^[4] This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Central School of Speech and Drama is a United Kingdom government funded higher education college in London. ... A university or school prospectus is a document sent to potential (prospective) students to attract them to apply for admissions. ...

Career

Nesbitt appeared in minor roles on television from 1985 but his first major role came in 1996 when he was cast as Leo in the BBC series Ballykissangel, where he stayed for two years. In the same year, he filmed the Cold Feet pilot alongside Helen Baxendale. The episode was not shown until March 1997 and went largely unnoticed. ITV commissioned a series after the pilot won the Golden Rose of Montreux. Nesbitt played Adam Williams until 2003, when the series ended. It was critically acclaimed and earned him a Best TV Comedy Actor award at the British Comedy Awards 2000. He received nominations for the same award in 1999 and 2001 and later won Most Popular Comedy Performance at the National Television Awards 2003. Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. ... Cold Feet is a British comedy/drama, made by Granada Television, broadcast on the ITV network and shown in five series between 1997 and 2003. ... Helen Baxendale (born 1969 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England) is a British TV, film and stage actress. ... The Rose dOr (or Golden Rose) is a highly prestigious television award, given annually since 1961 at the Festival Rose dOr in spring each year. ... Host: Jonathan Ross This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, sponsored by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. ...

He was first recognised internationally for his role as "Pig" Finn in the 1998 film Waking Ned. Along with the rest of the cast, he was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards 1999. In 2002 he portrayed Ivan Cooper in the Granada Films production Bloody Sunday. The film was warmly received by critics, but a Protestant backlash led to death threats against him and vandalism at his parents' home.^[5] Waking Ned, titled Waking Ned Devine in North America, is a 1998 comedy starring Ian Bannen, David Kelly and Fionnula Flanagan. ... The Actor: The Screen Actors Guild Award Statue The Screen Actors Guild Awards are an annual award given by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to recognize outstanding performances by members. ... Ivan Cooper, a Protestant M.P. best known for leading the proscribed anti-internment march, which ended being known as Bloody Sunday on January 30, 1972, in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, where 14 unarmed men and boys -- only one of whom, Gerry Donaghy (of the Junior IRA), could be adjudged a... Bloody Sunday is 2002 television film about the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry, Northern Ireland. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Following the end of Cold Feet, Nesbitt starred as DS Tommy Murphy in Murphy's Law, a gritty series following an undercover police officer. He became a creative consultant before the third series and changed the series to feature fewer undercover roles.^[3] In 2005 he was nominated for an IFTA Award for Best Actor in Television. The fourth series was broadcast in 2006. A fifth series is scheduled to start in October 2007 on the BBC. Murphys Law is a BBC television drama, produced by BBC Northern Ireland, starring James Nesbitt as undercover police officer, Tommy Murphy. ... The IFTA Award (Irish Film & Television Award) first appeared in 1999. ...

In 2005 he appeared in Owen McCafferty's Shoot The Crow at the Trafalgar Studios. His performance was described as "exemplary"^[6] and having "a blend of natural talent and relaxed approach".^[7] Owen McCafferty (born 1961) is a playwright from Northern Ireland. ... Trafalgar Studios is a legitimate theatre located at 14 Whitehall in London. ...

In September 2006 he began work on a new version of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.^[8] The six-part serial began on BBC One on June 16, 2007. He presented the January 19, 2007 edition of The Friday Night Project. Jekyll is a BBC television drama serial inspired by Robert Louis Stevensons novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. ... For other uses, see Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (disambiguation). ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Friday Night Project is a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 in February 2005. ...

Personal life

Nesbitt met actress Sonia Forbes-Adam at Central in 1989 when they both appeared in a tour of Hamlet. They married in 1993, have two children, Peggy (born 1998 and named for Nesbitt's sister) and Mary (born 2002), and live in Herne Hill.^[9] Hamlet and Horatio in the cemetery by Eugène Delacroix For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ... The Carnegie Library, Herne Hill Herne Hill is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London. ...

In 2002 a tabloid newspaper printed allegations that he had a two-month affair with a legal secretary and had snorted cocaine at his Manchester flat.^[10] Further claims were made that he had affairs with Cold Feet co-star Kimberley Joseph, as well as a former Miss Ireland and a 17-year old prostitute. He later put these down to the pressures of fame.^[3] Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Kimberley Joseph is an Australian actress and former glamour model who was first seen by UK audiences in the last series of the comedy drama Cold Feet when her character (Jo Ellison) was brought in as a new love intrest to John Thomsons character Pete, whos on-screen...

Nesbitt is an ambassador of Amnesty International and Unicef, which he describes as "a privilege".^[3] In June 2003 he was awarded an honorary Litt.D by the University of Ulster for his contribution to drama.^[11] Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a pressure group that promotes human rights. ... UNICEF Logo The United Nations Childrens Fund or UNICEF (Arabic: ; French: ; Spanish: ) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946. ... The University of Ulster (UU) is a multi-centre university located in Northern Ireland and is the largest single university on the island of Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland. ...

He is a supporter of Manchester United F.C. and Coleraine F.C. (he was part of a campaign to save the club when it faced tax troubles^[12]). Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... Coleraine F.C. is a Northern Irish football club playing in the Irish Premier League (IPL). ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• James Nesbitt at the Internet Movie Database